CVE-2026-48892 Apache Software Foundation CVE debrief

Who should care

Apache Airflow users with Config API access, security teams monitoring Airflow deployments, and administrators of affected versions should be aware of this exposure. Those responsible for configuring and securing Airflow instances need to assess their configurations and take appropriate mitigation steps. This includes reviewing current secrets backend configurations, restricting Config API access, and planning for upgrades to apache-airflow 3.3.0 or later.

Technical summary

The Config API in Apache Airflow exposed per-key secrets-backend overrides as synthetic config options without masking. Affects deployments using per-key environment overrides for secrets backends. Users should upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.0 or later. The exposure allows authenticated UI/API users with Config read permission to retrieve plaintext secrets-backend credentials, such as Vault role_id / secret_id. This issue highlights the importance of proper configuration and access control in Airflow deployments.

Defensive priority

High priority for Airflow administrators and security teams to assess and mitigate exposure.

Recommended defensive actions

• Upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.0 or later
• Restrict Config API access to authorized users
• Monitor Config API usage for suspicious activity
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

Evidence is limited; primary official records indicate exposure in Apache Airflow's Config API. Further verification is needed to assess affected scope and inventory. Affected deployments may have per-key secrets-backend overrides surfaced as synthetic config options without proper redaction. Authenticated users with Config read permission could access plaintext secrets-backend credentials. Additional review of Config API usage and secrets backend configurations is recommended.

Official resources